Boys Only! London dance workshop to be hosted by Laban

Boys Only! London dance workshop to be hosted by Laban

Photograph : Paul Greenwood

The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), in partnership with Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, present the Boys Only! weekend workshop on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 December, for boys and young men between the ages of 8 and 18.

Taking place at Trinity Laban, in South East London, this high energy two-day workshop will give male students across London the opportunity to combine classic ballet training, with energetic creative and contemporary workshops, and stylish Street Dance. The weekend is open to all boys, no matter their experience, and is a unique way to discover and develop new talents, dancing alongside and learning from leading dance artists.

Participants will work with motivational male teachers: Philip Page, who currently teaches at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, will lead the ballet class; Anton Streeks, who currently teaches on the Step into Dance programme, a partnership project between the RAD and The Jack Petchey Foundation will lead the Street Dance class and Ross Carpenter, a Dance Practitioner at Trinity Laban, will lead the creative and contemporary class.

Boys Only! is reaching out to the community, giving young men the opportunity to demonstrate their potential and to dance with and learn from their male peers. Quality teaching and insights into the dance profession also make this a unique experience.

Boys Only! originated in 2005 when the RAD raised £50,000 at a Billy Elliot -The Musical gala and launched the programme with the aim of widening participation in dance through open access events, specifically targeting young men with little or no dance experience. It is now a national programme working in collaboration with a range of regional partners, delivering ballet from a fresh perspective in conjunction with other dance styles.

Comments from a previous Boys Only! event which took place in Edinburgh earlier this year include:

Parent: “Alfie and his two friends had an absolute ball over the weekend, the event was extremely well organised, the tutors were fun and inspirational and the show at the end of their two days’ hard work was brilliant and all the boys there really looked like they’d had a blast.

Alfie and the other two musketeers are already hatching plans for next year. Once again thanks to all those involved.”

Teacher: “The weekend’s Boys Only! course was fantastic, I really loved it, it was so amazing seeing all those young boys dancing, especially the ballet. I thought it was a great success.”

Closing date for entries: 19 November 2012, but entries may be considered after closing date

Boys Only! courses are subsidised by the Boys Only! Fund which was established to provide opportunities for male students to access dance.

Any proceeds from the course are reinvested in the Fund. The Boys Only!

Fund is a restricted Fund of the Royal Academy of Dance.

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is the UK’s only conservatoire of music and dance. Its innovative course provision, exciting performances and groundbreaking education, community and social inclusion work make Trinity Laban a leader in the advancement of elite and creative artistic practice. The unequalled expertise and experience of Trinity Laban staff and world class facilities are housed in landmark buildings in Greenwich and Deptford, enabling the organisation to foster the musicians, dancers and artistic leaders of the future, enriching Britain’s vibrant cultural life and its creative industries which are vital to a balanced, diverse economy.

The Royal Academy of Dance promotes knowledge, understanding and practice of dance internationally. It seeks to accomplish its mission through promoting dance, educating and training students and teachers and providing examinations to monitor and reward achievement. It has approximately 13,500 members in 79 countries. Approximately one third of its members are RAD Registered Teachers, training and inspiring young people every day. Although classical ballet is at its core the Academy offers a far wider range of danceforms and works with renowned teachers and choreographers on a regular basis to ensure that delivery is always of the highest standard. Royal Academy of Dance is a charity registered in England and Wales No. 312826.